True Born
by GD-7
Summary: Malcolm finds himself injured and separated from his away team on a planet with deadly predators, violent natives and subfreezing temperatures. R for sexual content mf. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: I don't own anything except the plot, the planet and its inhabitants. Be gentle; this is the first story I have posted here, but if you're nice I might post more! :) I don't think there are many spoilers, if any. This story would have occurred in the first season, back when T'Pol was still a Sub-Commander and they were still explorers... not "humanity's last chance!". Entirely too much pressure and angst after that. Since this 'episode' didn't actually occur and the changes in this story did not in fact happen in the "real timeline", I guess this story is slightly Alternate Universe (though I believe it stays pretty true to the first season). This story contains sexual situations between consenting adults (m/f), so you've been warned. If you don't like Malcolm, don't bother with this one.

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Chapter 1

Malcolm staggered through the knee deep snow along the edge of the forest, clutching his side. He tapped the button on his chest with his free hand again, then lightly smacked his breastplate, trying to get the communicator to stop fritzing, yelling to make his voice heard over the howling wind. "Enterprise! Enterprise, do you read me?"

The communicator just crackled.

He gave it another smack, then spoke as loudly and clearly as he could, "If you can hear me... I'm going to try to get to the energy source we detected in the forest. Hopefully there will be a ship or some kind of shelter there." Static was the only reply,

He sighed and gave up, smacking the button to turn it back off and looking down at the gash in his side. He carefully peeled his hand away from it. The blood had actually frozen in the sub-arctic temperatures. "Well, at least I'm not going to bleed to death..." He muttered with a sarcastic grin. He was starting to feel a bit dazed. The suit was made to withstand super cold temperatures, but it had been breached, and the environmental functions were damaged and failing. He could feel himself going numb with the cold. At least the atmosphere was breathable, or he would probably have been dead already.

He leaned against a tree for a moment, his shoulders shaking. The energy reading had come from just about a kilometer into the forest... He looked into the densely packed trees, their branches low and intertwined. It wouldn't be easy... but it looked like his only chance. T'Pol had warned them about the locals... primitive, superstitious and violent. They had been given very specific orders to avoid the nearby village and its inhabitants at all costs.

He staggered over towards a small break in the branches. He tripped and fell headlong into the snow as his foot caught against something. He lay there for a minute, his head swimming. It took an enormous effort to raise himself shakily to his knees.

It was then that he heard it. An eerie whining howl that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He barely had time to turn over before they were on him. He put his arms up to protect himself and the first creature snapped at him, its teeth sinking right through the protective suit and into his arm. He cried out in pain.

The world blurred around him as the pain clouded his brain. He heard an odd, trilling sound off to the side and the creature released his arm. He only got the impression of towering, hulking creatures approaching before he passed out.

When he next became aware, he felt a tight rope around his chest, under his arms. His backpack was gone, and he was being dragged by the rope at a high rate of speed. He was thankful for the snow now, as it greatly cushioned the ground, and hadn't torn his suit further.

The thought of being dragged by a rope by persons or things unknown should have been alarming, but he was feel quite numb by now. The inside of his faceplate was covered in frost, obscuring his view of the outside world.

By the time he skidded to a stop on his side, the world outside seemed quite far away. Only the vaguest of shapes showed through his faceplate, and he couldn't feel his body anymore.

He became aware of something hitting against his helmet. After a couple more whacks he heard a crack, then his faceplate was ripped away.

He blinked, trying to clear his eyes as the icy air bit into his lungs. There were creatures around him in the rapidly descending darkness. They were hulking figures with fur and slits for eyes. He stared at them dazedly as they circled around him, growling to eachother.

More began arriving. He was pretty sure some were poking him with sticks, but he couldn't really feel it anymore, just a vague pressure.

He stared around at them blankly. After a minute, he let his eyes drift, staring absently at an odd structure behind the figures.

Another figure came into view. It stopped as it caught sight of him. They stared at eachother for a minute. He noticed the bundle of wood it was carrying. Very slowly, his mind started making connections.

The figure approached as the others turned their attention to ripping into his backpack behind him. It knelt beside him, setting down the wood. He could hear raised voices behind him, more ripping and clattering as the contents of the pack fell to the ground.

The figure next to him reached up, and to his surprise, lifted away the fur covering it's face. He found himself looking into two brilliantly blue eyes. The pupils were slitted, but the face was unmistakably humanoid. Click. Click. He was in the village... the figures weren't animals as he'd thought... they were locals in heavy winter garb.

He drew in a sharp breath as a bare hand touched his cheek. His skin was so cold, the hand burnt like fire. The hand withdrew and it... no... he was sure now it was a female... SHE put her glove back on, glancing over him at the crowd beyond.

If he could have moved, he would have flinched. She had drawn a knife. He stared helplessly as she moved it towards him. But she didn't cut him. He felt a definite sawing tugging, then she pulled away the rope. She tucked away her knife as he heard the unmistakable sounds of his equipment being smashed to bits and barking laughter.

She grabbed him up roughly, slipping her arms under his, holding him around the chest awkwardly, his feet dragging the ground to one side as she staggered off with him. His head lolled onto her shoulder. The fur against his face felt quite nice actually.

He dazedly looked up, seeing the others smashing his things with rocks by the light of several torches. As each device was obliterated a kind of cheer went up from the gathered crowd.

He saw one of the figures look over to where he had lain and give out a cry as they started around the corner. The woman carrying him picked up the pace, starting to trot as fast as she could while lugging Malcolm's weight.

He heard a roar go up that definitely sounded angry, then the sounds of pursuit. The woman's breath was quickly getting ragged as she tried to go a bit faster. They appeared to be moving out of the main part of 'town', as the structures he now recognized as dome shaped homes became less and less frequent. The crowd caught up to them as they passed the last of the 'houses'. They were yelling at the woman holding him angrily. She just called over her shoulder, continuing to run as fast as she could.

The angry crowd started grabbing up pieces of ice and rocks, and began pelting her with them. She ran on, letting Malcolm shift a bit lower so his head was protected by her shoulder.

She ran on, staggering a bit when particularly large objects hit her. Then she veered towards a lone building. The door opened as she ran up to it.

Malcolm was suddenly surrounded by warmth and relative brightness. She let go of him and he dropped to the floor, where he lay, skin burning at the sudden heat. There was the sound of something sliding heavily into place. Then another and another. As angry pounding started on the door, he watched as the woman came into view. She fitted a heavy plank into notches across a wooden shape against the wall. He assumed it was a covered window. She disappeared to the side again and he heard a similar sound on the other side of the small house.

The pounding on the door suddenly stopped. Malcolm heard a deep booming voice calling through the door. The woman stopped, then slowly approached the door. He heard her call out something in their language, and then an argument ensued.

Whatever the argument was about, it appeared that after a few brief moments the woman had won it. She made one last pronouncement, then there was a pause followed by a great boom against the door. Then silence.

He saw the woman go over to the window, peering through a crack in the wood. She sighed, then came over, undoing her massive coat and peeling it off. Without the furs, she looked positively minuscule. Malcolm gazed up at her as she started working on getting his suit off, wondering how such a petite creature could have lifted him, let alone carried his weight all that way.

The woman's eyes peered into his again, swimming in and out of focus, then faded away entirely.

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"What do you mean you can't locate him?" Archer growled, clenching his teeth in pain as Doctor Phlox cut away the bloody remains of his suit and uniform around the large tear that covered the lower half of his leg.

"There is some sort of electrical disturbance in the area that is blocking our sensors." T'Pol informed him calmly.

"Is it a natural phenomenon?" Archer asked, more concerned than ever.

"As far as we can tell."

"What do you mean by that?" He asked, flinching and letting out a hiss of pain as Phlox swabbed the area with antiseptic.

"There is currently a rather violent storm, which may possibly be the cause, and the sensors showed nothing previously on this planet capable of producing such shielding. Therefore, until information is found to the contrary, it can be deduced that the source is most likely natural." She glanced at the wound, noting the pained look on his face, "Doctor, perhaps the Captain needs a bit more pain medication...?"

"He hasn't had any. As I just explained to him, the creature that bit him had quite potent venom..." He paused as he extracted a thin tooth, about three inches long, from Archer's leg. He dropped the tooth into a pan and continued, "If it is combined with any of the pain relievers I have available, it would quickly result in cardiac arrest..." He calmly scanned the wound again, locating and extracting yet another tooth.

T'Pol looked from the wound to Archers pale, waxen face. "Will you be able to eliminate it?"

"Hopefully with a bit of time. I've been able to greatly slow it's progress for now. Actually, he's very lucky... if he had the biological makeup of the local inhabitants, he would have been dead within about three minutes... not to mention, it wouldn't have stopped attacking..."

"How did my biological makeup stop it from attacking?" Archer asked, curious despite his obvious pain.

Phlox smiled. "I imagine you taste quite bad. In fact, it's very possible that the taste it got of you has it feeling even worse than you do."

"Serves it right." Archer grumbled, eyeing the wound. He looked over at T'Pol, "Why wasn't there any warnings about those things in the Vulcan Database?"

"This planet was only observed for a short period of time during the warm season. From the scans you took before it attacked, that creature appears to be adapted to the cold... it is possible they hibernate or retreat up into the mountains during the warm season. You WERE warned that there were many dangerous species on this planet."

Archer sighed, knowing further questioning of the database information would be useless. He looked over at the doctor. "How's Trip?" He asked, glancing over to where he lay.

"He'll be just fine. Little bump on the head, nothing more." Phlox said unflappably, "I sent him to his quarters. He's on strict bedrest for the time being, but I doubt there will even be a scar."

Archer's eyes widened, "I just remembered... Malcolm got raked across the side by the claw on the end of that tail.. or tentacle... or whatever the hell that was... that's what pushed him off the edge of the slope... if it's got the same kind of venom..."

Phlox blinked contemplatively. "Oh dear... Let's hope not... I'm afraid the prognosis for such an untreated wound would not be good. The low temperatures should slow the progress some, but..."

Archer sighed heavily, then looked over at T'Pol. "Find him... I don't care how... if you need to send another away team, do it... but first figure out how to detect those... things... no sense sending them a buffet."

T'Pol nodded. "Aye sir. We'll monitor the storm and watch for a break... the turbulence is too violent to get a shuttle through. You got out just in time."

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	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next thing Malcolm became aware of was warmth... glorious, all encompassing warmth. He let himself bask in it for a time.

After a while he started becoming more aware... started registering different things... like the fact that he was laying on his side, and it felt like he was wearing large but tight mittens... and his feet felt wrapped in something as well. He moved a hand. It wasn't tied... just bandaged. He felt pressure around him as well... like he was cocooned.

He blinked his eyes open, trying to focus them. A bright blue fire flickered merrily in the fireplace.

He glanced down and froze. Two large, owl-like eyes peered back at him. There was some kind of creature laying next to him, curled up against his stomach. It rolled onto it's back, tilting it's little head around until it was upside-down, reaching a little paw out and touching his face. He didn't move.

It drew back it's paw and almost seemed to smile at him. An odd sound, very like a cat's purr, started up deep in the creature's chest. It undulated it's long body, stretching out it's legs one by one... all eight of them... then settled back on it's side, turning it's great eyes to peer at the fire, it's long thin tail undulating.

He got the definite impression that this was some sort of pet. He heard a little sigh behind him, and he realized where the pet's owner was.

He shoved down the fur blanket a bit with his bandaged hand, noting the bandages on his side and covering the forearm of his right arm, the thick pallet beneath him... and more importantly, the arm draped over him.

When he shifted a bit, he realized that she was spooned against him... and they were both quite naked. He shifted the blanket back up as she shivered, unsure what to do.

He closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep as she stirred. He felt a hand gently touching his forehead, then cheek. When her hand was gone, he felt her gently shift away from him, carefully tucking the fur blanket around him. He heard a flutter of material, then the sound of bare feet crossing the room.

He then heard a clattering sound. He shifted onto his back and the clattering stopped. He continued feigning sleep, and the clatter soon resumed. He cracked his eye open.

She was standing over next to a shelf that looked to be carved into the wall. Her hair was a long, lustrous dark red that flowed halfway down her back, and she was now wearing a pale, loose gown. She was making something in a crude metal pot with what looked like twigs and leaves.

He shut his eye as she picked it up and walked back towards him. She stepped over him and settled down in front of the fire. He cracked his eyes open again, watching her.

She took a metal bar and put the handle of the pot on it, carefully shifting it into the fireplace, hooking the handle on a metal hook that reached out from the back of the fireplace. Then she sat there... humming in an oddly human way.

About ten minutes later, she took the bubbling pot off the fire. She stood, her slender form illuminated through the thin material of her gown, and got several things off the ledge above the fireplace. When she settled back down, she set a couple of cups, and a pitcher on the hearth beside her, putting an odd, slightly cone shaped thing on top of the pitcher. Then she picked up a dark mitt and lifted the hot pot, tipping it and carefully pouring the contents into the thing on top of the pitcher. When she set down the pot, he continued to hear fluid trickling down for a moment, then she lifted the top part off the pitcher, letting the last of the fluid drip out, then sat the top in the pot.

As she poured the pink, but clear fluid from the pitcher into the cups, he realized it was some kind of tea, and the top part was a strainer. She sat there, contemplating the fire as the tea cooled. After a while, she checked it, then picked up one of the cups.

He quickly closed his eyes as she turned back to him. After a moment, he felt her hand slip under his head. He decided the time for faking was over. He opened his eyes.

She started, letting out a little squeak of surprise, her hand pulling back from his head as she nearly dropped the cup in her other hand.

They just stared at eachother for a minute. Her hair seemed to glow in the firelight. Her cat-like eyes had dilated, the pupils almost looking round.

When he made no move, she hesitantly shifted closer again. She carefully slipped her hand under his head once again, tilting it up a bit and moving the cup up to his lips.

He sniffed the contents cautiously. Seeing his hesitance, she took a little sip out of the cup herself, then offered it once again to him. He wasn't sure if it was safe, but his stomach was aching with hunger, and his whole body felt weak. He reluctantly let her shift his head up and pour a bit of the liquid into his mouth.

It tasted strange... definitely herbal. As he swallowed, he felt an odd, tingling warmth spread from his stomach. He contemplated it for a moment. It wasn't a bad sensation... so he allowed her to give him more. By the time the small cup was empty, his whole body tingled, and his stomach had stopped protesting. He felt positively tranquil.

"Don't suppose there's any use asking you questions..." he murmured, looking over at her.

She looked at him intently and merely blinked.

He sighed and let his head settle back. "I wonder how long I've been here..." He muttered to himself.

"Two... cycle..." She said, obviously unsure of herself.

His eyes widened, staring at her.

She brightened, gaining confidence, "Two cycle." She said firmly.

"You speak english?" He asked in amazement.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to work that one out. She got up and went over to a little table against the wall. It was only then that he noticed that his ripped pack and the remains of some of his equipment were sitting on it.

She picked up one mangled piece of equipment with wires sticking out and brought it over. It was what was left of his translator. Though there had been no foreseeable need for it on this away mission, it was included in the standard equipment.

When she set it down, he could see it had been tinkered with a great deal. There were bits and pieces that had been scavenged from the other equipment spliced in to replace damaged areas. It looked like nothing more than a tangle of spare parts, but when she pressed the button it beeped. The little screen slowly came to life, though it was held only by wires now.

She let out a string of words in what was obviously her native language. The translator struggled for a moment, then managed, "What... say?" in an obviously synthesized voice.

Malcolm looked from the device to the woman in wonder. From what they had been told, this society was very primitive... they didn't even have internal combustion engines... So how was this woman able to cobble together advanced electronics?

He reached for the device, then paused, remembering the bandages on his hand. He flexed his hand a bit. It felt oddly numb. He wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not.

She put her hand on his, and spoke again in slow, broken English, "Burn of snow... good.." Then she said a word in her language.

After a moment, the translator said, "Tomorrow."

"To-moor-row" She pronounced carefully. "Good tomorrow." she said when she had it down.

"You're a very fast learner." He commented with a smile.

She looked like she had an idea what he was saying, but waited for the translator's version, then blushed.

"How did you get my things?" He asked curiously. From the way the other villagers had reacted, he didn't think they would have just let her stroll into town and retrieve them.

She smiled before the translator could even have a crack at it, and pointed to the creature now lazing near his feet. "Ooroko."

The creature let out a purr, rolling onto it's back once again and waving it's paw at him. He realized for the first time that it's forepaws each had six fingers that were thinner and longer than you usually saw on paws, and it had opposable thumbs. The lower six paws looked more 'normal' if any part of the animal could be called that. She reached over and rubbed it's belly and the purring grew louder.

He couldn't help wonder if this creature had at least a rudimentary intelligence. "Well, thank you Ooroko." He said, carefully duplicating the lilting name. The creature let out what sounded like a sneeze and rolled over, going back to sleep.

"What's your name?"

She blinked for a moment, then said carefully, "You give."

He wasn't sure what to make of that. He decided it was best to try again. "My name is Malcolm." He said slowly so the translator would have a better chance, "What is your name?"

"You give." She repeated.

"Is that your name?" he asked uncertainly.

She looked frustrated, then spoke to the translator, letting it have a try. "You assign name of me." it said mechanically.

This didn't make any sense to him, "What did your parents name you?" She stared at him blankly, even after the translation, so he continued, "What does everyone call you?"

She spoke to the translator again, not wanting to make more mistakes, "You. Girl. Witch." She had her eyes downcast as it translated the last word.

He could tell this was a very touchy subject. He decided it was time to change the subject, he could try again later. He leaned a bit closer to the translator, looking it over. The circuits, as he had suspected, did appear pretty well repaired, all things considered. He glanced up at her. "Why did they smash my things?"

She pointed at the device, then said, "Forbidden."

It took him a moment to figure out what she had said with her accent, then he blinked, "Forbidden?"

She listened to the translator's version to verify, then said, "Yes."

"You mean your people have technology, they just aren't allowed to use it?"

She waited for the translator for that question, then bit her lip in a very human way. After a moment's hard thinking, she gave up and spoke in her language. Even the translator had a hard time.

"Ancients... great knowledge... fight... destroy all... knowledge forbidden... buried... no more."

It didn't sound like it had picked up half the words she said, but he thought he had the gist. It wouldn't be the first society he'd heard of that had nearly destroyed itself, and then shunned technology to avoid complete destruction... there were still pockets of such people on Earth that had been there since the great wars nearly destroyed all of humanity, though he'd never seen such a society slip quite so far back down the social latter.

She was poking at the circuits, obviously concerned it wasn't working properly.

"So, if this happened a long long time ago, and technology has been forbidden ever since... how do you know how to work it?"

She looked up at him, her cheeks coloring. She pulled her hand away from the wire she'd been adjusting.

"Forest." She said at length, as if that were all the answer he needed.

Perhaps it was... now he was more curious than ever as to what was in that forest.

She moved over near the fire, collecting her own cup of tea and drinking it. She refilled both cups, then shifted over and held the cup up for him. He drank it, though he wasn't really feeling very thirsty... and his hunger seemed gone entirely. The tingling sensation wasn't quite as strong this time, but it was still present.

He tensed as she pulled down the blanket. He blushed a bit as she examined his bandage. She glanced up and noticed the slight blush. Picking up on his discomfort, she reached over to a small pile of cloth near the pallet on which he lay. She took ahold of the edge, unfolding it and holding it up for his approval. It was a crude pair of pants.

"Um... could I have my uniform?"

She looked at the translator expectantly. Her eyes flicked up when it was done. She sighed, then concentrated for a moment, "Cut?" she said uncertainly, indicating his wound. She then finished with a string of her language, which the translator interpreted as, "Remedy difficult." she said, tapping the stitching on the side of the pants and miming sewing.

He sighed. From the look of the stitching, they probably used large needles, possibly even bone or the like. He could see how it would be difficult getting such a needle through the dense, reinforced weave of the material of his uniform. Well, at least the pants looked like they would fit him.

Since his hands were tightly wrapped, he had to let her help him... the next few minutes were highly embarrassing, but when he was finally at least partially dressed he felt a bit better.

She smiled down at him as she covered him back up. "Sleep." she said softly.

There were hundreds more questions teeming in his head, but he found he was still quite tired. He vaguely wondered where his fellow crewmen were. It seemed strange that no one had come to get him yet... He drifted off to sleep, still pondering the question.

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	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A little yelp woke Malcolm. He blinked around, remembering once again where he was. His host was sitting cross-legged on a little stool at the table. She was shaking her hand, then as he watched, stuck the tip of her index finger in her mouth.

"You ok?" He called over, a bit groggily.

She started, looking over at him. He could now see that his breastplate was sitting on her lap. She quickly set it back on the table and hurried over. She poured another glass of tea and offered it to him. He reached out, then sighed, remembering the bandages.

Seeing his problem, she set aside the cup and reached over, grabbing a shallow bowl and a sealed jar-like container. She removed the wrapping from around the top of the container, and pulled out the cork, then reached out, indicating he should let her take his hand. "Is tomorrow." She said carefully.

He held it out for her, and she began to gently unwrap his hand. When the last of the wrapping came away there was a great deal of damp, spongy herbs packed around it. She carefully removed them and set them aside.

He flexed his fingers. The skin was a raw looking pink, and stung as the air hit it.

She pulled over a shallow bowl and took ahold of his wrist, holding the hand over the bowl. She then carefully lifted the jar and poured what looked like regular water over his hand. It tingled strangely, but the stinging and redness went away as quickly as if it had simply washed off.

He examined the hand as she repeated the process on the other. Upon closer observation, there seemed to be a slightly oily substance still clinging to his skin.

She had just handed him his tea when a loud booming sounded from the door. She jumped and her head whipped towards the door. A loud, growling voice called in and her eyes went wide with unmistakable fear.

She sprang up, practically leaping over to the table. She snatched her coat off one of the chairs and threw it over the gathered items. She looked around, panicked as the voice sounded again, followed by another round of pounding.

Malcolm looked around, making sure there wasn't any electronics near him. The translator was gone, and he could see nothing else that needed hidden. He set aside the tea and pulled the blanket up a bit more self-consciously.

She was hesitantly approaching the door. For the first time he noticed the three stout planks of wood that had been set into brackets at the top, middle and bottom of the door. The voice outside silenced as she shifted the planks out of the way noisily.

She took a bracing breath, then turned the little latch in the door, opening it. A gust of freezing air and snow howled into the small house, and when the door was finally shut again, a truly imposing figure stood there.

It surveyed him across the room in stony silence before pulling up the fur face mask. Malcolm found he quite preferred the ominous, slit eyed mask. The man who stared back at him looked grizzled and scarred, his left eye milky and obviously blind. Even without seeing him out of his coat, he could tell this man truly was quite large. His hands alone looked like he could have picked up a watermelon single handed.

When he finally released Malcolm from his penetrating gaze, he glanced over at the woman. He growled what sounded like an accusatory question at her.

She drew herself up straighter and answered him in an even tone.

An argument quickly ensued. The man looked highly agitated, combing the room with his good eye. He paused mid-sentence, peering at something in the corner. He went over and grabbed it up. Malcolm belatedly realized his environmental suit was sitting on top of the stack of his clothes.

As the hulking man picked up the suit, the phase pistol came free and clattered to the floor. There was a dead silence for a moment. The man bent down and plucked up the pistol.

He turned on the woman and roared at her angrily. When she replied, it was in a high pitched, terrified voice. He shook the pistol at her, then tossed it to the ground, shrieking at her in fury, hand waving in Malcolm's direction.

Malcolm watched, unsure if he should try to intervene.

She tried to reason with him, but he just roared and backhanded her with the force of a sledge hammer. She was tossed like a ragdoll against the shelf behind her. Before she had a hope of recovering, his huge hand was around her neck in a flash of movement, lifting her off her feet and holding her against the wall.

Malcolm was up and running towards him in an instant. He wasn't sure what he could do, but was not about to stand by and watch this.

The man saw him coming and literally tossed the woman at him. Malcolm caught her, but was borne to the floor by her momentum. He sprawled beneath her, but quickly spotted his discarded pistol. He reached over and snatched it up, bringing it to bear on the man as he approached.

The man stopped, eyeing the pistol warily. He may never have seen one before, but he recognized the look of a man bearing a weapon. They eyed eachother tensely for a long moment.

With a snort of disgust, the man turned and left.

Malcolm gently shifted the woman off of him and hurried over to the door, forcing it shut against the gale force winds. Much to his surprise, each of the beams used to 'lock' it weighed at least a hundred pounds. With some effort, he worked them all back into place, then turned and hurried back over to the woman.

She was curled in a little ball on the floor where he'd left her. She was sobbing weakly, struggling to draw breath.

He turned her over and gently examined her. She just lay there, letting him. A deep purple had started to appear over almost her entire throat, and there was a reedy quality to her breathing that spoke of deeper damage. He noted the thin trickle of bright turquoise from her mouth near the purpling that had started there.

He gently felt up the back of her neck for any dislocation or breaks in the spinal column... when his fingers slid through the hair on the back of her head, they came back covered in that same bright turquoise.

"Oh God..." He muttered fearfully. He didn't have any functional medical equipment, and the damage looked far too extensive for the herbal treatments that seemed to be the extent of the medical science here.

He looked up as Ooroko hurried up, sniffing the woman anxiously. The creature looked almost frantic. She reached up and touched it's head, trying to calm it, but couldn't manage to get her voice to work.

It looked up at him and made an odd squeaking noise, then scampered across to table and slipped under the draping coat.

The woman grabbed his arm firmly, then pointed after the creature. As Malcolm looked up, he heard an odd banging sound from under the table.

He stood and crossed the room, taking ahold of the small table, and carefully moving it aside. Underneath was Ooroko, trying with all its might to lift a trap door.

Malcolm took ahold of the edge and lifted it open. There was a waft of strangely scented warm, moist air. He tried to peer into the dark depths, but couldn't make out more than a meter or so of an ancient looking, rough hewn set of stairs leading downwards.

He looked up as Ooroko hurried over again, holding a small jar half full of liquid. It looked like it was carved quartz or perhaps crude glass. As he watched, the creature opened a compartment on the top of the lid and pulled out what looked like a seed with it's tiny fingers. It shut the compartment, lifted the lid and dropped it in the liquid. The seed started to glow, then burst into flame, burning brightly as it bobbed on the surface of the liquid.

Ooroko went down the first couple steps into the underground passage, then stopped, looking back at him expectantly.

Malcolm hurried back over to the woman. "Is there something that will help you down there?" he asked.

She still couldn't manage to get her voice to work, but she mouthed 'yes'. He gingerly picked her up, then carried her across the room, following Ooroko's bobbing light.

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Hoshi smacked her palm on the edge of her console, "I had him!" she said in frustration.

T'Pol hurried over. "Are you sure it was him?"

Hoshi was tapping away at her console, trying to to get the signal back. "Yes, definitely human..." She sighed and sat back, letting T'Pol have a look.

T'Pol looked up after a minute, then looked over at Hoshi. "Good work Ensign. Now that we know the general area, we can narrow the search." She stood up straight, looking down at Hoshi's dejected look. "He is alive. That is more than we knew before." she said in an almost consoling tone.

Hoshi sighed and went back to scanning as T'Pol left.

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T'Pol looked Archer over as he slept. "Any progress doctor?" she asked without looking up.

Phlox sighed, "Not much I'm afraid. The toxin is still hampered, but it is slowly beginning to spread... and all of my attempts to extract or eliminate it have failed. I have even tried leeches... they all died before they had drawn enough to be helpful at all... Perhaps if I knew a bit more about the local plants and animals it would give me a better idea of how to come at this problem..."

"I have already transferred full access to all research files on this planet to the crew." She replied, then glanced up. "Would it be alright to wake him? He wanted to be advised of any new information when it became available."

"Of course, just try not to keep him up very long. I will be looking over that information if you need me." He said with a slight bow of his head, then headed off.

"Captain." She said loudly, reaching out and gently shaking his shoulder.

He started, and then groaned at the sudden movement.

She quickly pulled her hand away, "Forgive me Captain, I didn't mean to startle you."

He sighed and settled back. "Not your fault... Bad dream..." he said, closing his eyes. He rubbed his hand over his face, then looked over, suddenly realizing who she was. "Have you found him?" he asked urgently.

"Not exactly... but we did get a momentary reading on him through a break in the interference. He is alive, and his life signs seemed strong and stable..."

Archer looked as if a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders. "Where is he?"

T'Pol hesitated, then said, "That may be our biggest problem... he appears to be in the village."

"The village?" Archer said, starting to rise slightly.

T'Pol quickly put her hand on his chest and pushed him unceremoniously back down. "The outskirts, but yes, definitely the village."

"But I thought you said they kill strangers on sight?"

Another pause. "According to the records, yes. I cannot explain it."

"Could he be hiding in a barn or something?"

"No. Other than the fact that he was given a direct order to avoid the area, which I do not believe Mr. Reed would voluntarily disobey at any cost... he was also in very close vicinity to one of the natives."

"One of the natives?"

She gave a nod. "An injured female from the readings."

Archer mulled that over.

"We will keep close surveillance on the area in case there are further breaks in the interference, but I believe it would pose too great a threat to Mr. Reed to attempt using the transporter in such a volatile atmosphere. We will have to return to the surface when the storm breaks if we are to have any hope of retrieving him."

She stood in silence for a moment, then she continued. "As I have already informed the doctor, I have made all research material from this planet available, so you may review it if you wish. I must warn you, their society is barbaric to say the least."

Archer gave a weak grin. "As I recall, that's what you called us too."

----------------


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The stairs seemed to go on and on. Malcolm would have stopped for a break, but the woman in his arms was getting less responsive my the minute.

After what felt like at least twenty minutes, the passage finally leveled out. Ooroko led on, throwing bizarre silhouettes on the walls.

The passage just seemed to widen abruptly, and the light suddenly glinted off a million gleaming surfaces. He skidded to a halt, feeling water sloshing around the bandages on his feet. It looked like he was in the center of a giant geode. As his eyes adjusted, he saw that the crystals themselves gave off a gentle blue phosphorescence.

He pulled his eyes away from the breathtaking ceiling and looked ahead. Ooroko was floating on its back in the water like an otter, the jar perched on its flat stomach. It looked at him expectantly, floating further into the pool of water, its thin tail propelling it on like a snake through the water. When it got to the opposite side he could see clearly that the passage went no further. This was the end of the line. It placed the light on a protruding crystal and went back to staring at him. At least it didn't feel like there were crystals below the water level. The ground beneath him shifted slightly under his feet like sand.

He took another step and found the ground dropping off quickly. He was now knee deep. The water was warm, and he suddenly realized that his feet were tingling. As the tingling increased, he recognized the feeling. It felt just like when she had poured the water over his hands.

He took another step forward and the ground fell out from under him. He found himself unexpectedly plunged underwater. He kicked up, breaking the surface, but the woman had slipped out of his grasp. He looked quickly around, trying to locate her. The slash on his side and the bite on his arm started tingling so much it was almost painful.

Then he spotted Ooroko. He saw a bit of light colored material drifting near the creature, and realized with a shock that it had gotten ahold of the woman, and was holding her under the water!

He swam quickly over and reached for her, but her own hand closed around his wrist, holding him off. He gazed down into the water, confused. It was clear enough so he could see her well this close to the light. To his amazement, she appeared to be breathing in the water.

As he watched, the bruising around her neck and on her cheek started fading. After a few minutes, Ooroko let go of her, slipping through the water and back out the other end of the pool.

She drifted to the surface, then rotated upright, head breaking the surface. Water surged out of her mouth. He quickly slipped his arms around her and held her up as she weakly coughed out the rest.

She just lay there, resting against him for a time. He just held her, letting her gather herself. When he felt she had recovered a bit, he gently asked her, "Who was that?"

She let out a shuddering sigh and seemed to hold him tighter. "Father." She whispered.

He blinked in surprise, "That was your FATHER?"

She nodded mutely against his chest.

"He could have killed you! Why would a father treat his child like that?"

She sighed again. "Shame."

Cold realization crept into his stomach. "It was because of me?"

"No. Me. I Bring shame."

"But how..." he paused, realizing something. "You're speaking a lot better..."

She looked up at him, a smile flitting across her lips. "You sleep, I study."

"Why are you so determined to learn my language?" he said warily, getting a feeling he was getting the picture.

She blinked. "Must know." she said simply.

He looked at her seriously. "How did you bring shame on your family?" he asked slowly.

She loosened her hold on him. "I take you... I bring you here... I claim right so they can no hurt you."

"What right?"

Her cheeks colored slightly and she couldn't look him in the eye. She let go of him and let herself drift away a bit, "Right to you... right to claim..." she struggled for words, "A prisoner... outsider..."

"So I am...?" he asked leadingly.

She blinked, "Mine."

His mind seemed to be buzzing now. He ran his fingers through his wet hair, noting the slightly oily feel of the water against his skin. "So I am what? Your slave? Servant?"

She looked confused. "I do not know these..."

"Do you own me?"

She laughed, then said "No." as if it was the funniest thing she'd ever heard. "YOU own ME."

That took him aback.

He felt her slip her arms around him again. She paused, feeling the bandage at his side, and let him go. She started towards the edge of the pool, taking ahold of his hand and gently pulling him along with her.

When they reached the edge, she started unwinding his bandage. He was about to object, worried he shouldn't get any more of the strange, oily water in the wound, but as the bandage fell away he saw nothing more than a pink line where the slash had been. He watched as she removed the one on his arm. It was the same. Then he had to hold onto the edge, raising each foot for her to remove the bandaging.

Only the vaguest tingling remained at the sites of the wounds, but the warm liquid seemed to radiate more than mere warmth. It was only then that he realized that all the aches and strains of carrying her all that way had flowed out of his muscles.

She slunk back down into the waist deep water, trembling under the extra weight of her soaked gown.

"Maybe need little longer..." she said, then tugged at the swirling material.

Malcolm didn't object. The longer he spent in the water, the more pleasant it felt. It was even more comfortable than the decontamination room back on the Enterprise. "This is quite nice actually..." He said as he drifted a bit.

He looked over as she slipped below the surface. When she reemerged, she shoved a sodden mass of material up onto the edge near the bandages. She then drifted around lazily, only her head above the water, just enjoying the pool.

He tried not to watch, but the water was very clear... He quickly decided he needed to distract himself. "So... is swimming a big pastime here? I mean when it's warmer of course."

She smiled over at him. "No... only witch float."

He blinked, then chuckled. "You know, a very long time ago they had the very same superstition where I lived. To test to see if a person was a witch, they would throw them in water.. and if they knew how to swim, they called them witches."

She looked confused. "No. Is true. Only witch float. All other sink. Mother change us." She quickly changed the subject, "But now the warm is almost gone. Soon it comes no more."

"What do you mean?" he asked curiously.

"Plants not growing now when should... not enough warm. Mother warned me... when I was girl... so I took many plant when still was warm... make house here..." she indicated above.

"You don't have summers anymore? Is that normal?"

She shook her head, "No... we die soon." she said as if talking about the color of a dress.

It sounded as if they were experiencing some sort of global cooling... he suddenly wished more than anything to be back on the Enterprise. Maybe there was something they could do... But then that was ridiculous... how could one space ship save a planet? Still... perhaps they, or a Vulcan ship could relocate at least some of these people to another planet?

She drifted over to him. "You strange male." she said softly, running her hand down his chest.

That quickly derailed his thoughts. He cleared his throat uncomfortable. "What do you mean?"

She smiled. "Strange eyes... and so narrow... like boy..." she said, running her hands down his sides.

He blushed a bit, more from the touching than the implication. "Well yes... if your father was any indicator, I suppose I am a bit thin... I'm pretty average for my kind though..."

She reached up and felt his ears, "And these..."

He blinked, realizing he had never actually seen her ears. He reached out and gently pushed the thick red hair away from her ears. They thinned towards the top, coming to a delicate point. "Another pointy eared species..." he said with a wry grin.

At her questioning look, he explained. "There is a woman where I come from that has ears kind of like yours." he smiled at her puzzled look, "It's ok... your ears are quite lovely."

She smiled, reassured, then continued her examination, "You have no ridge." she said, running her hand down the center of his chest, "No spike." She ran her hands down the sides of his ribcage.

"I'm not sure I want to see one of your males out of his coat." He chuckled. "You don't have spikes or ridges either... at least none I've noticed."

He irises widened a bit. "Am female." She said, as if worried he hadn't noticed.

He grinned. "I'm well aware of that... you aren't that different from females of my kind actually..."

"True?" she asked, surprised, "What different?" she asked, looking down at herself.

He cleared his throat as she stood up a bit in the water, "Um... the eyes of course... they have eyes like mine... and ears too... umm..." he was trying to pry his eyes off the small but well formed breasts that were right in front of him. She turned before him and he was able to look her over more.

"Hold on..." he said when she had almost turned back to him again. "Let me see your back."

She hesitantly gathered her long hair up, pulling it over her shoulder so he had a clear view of her back.

He looked closer. It wasn't a trick of the light... she had a narrow stripe of a kind of pearly, shimmering white down her spine. It ran all the way down to the small of her back. Her skin was so fair that it was barely noticeable. "They don't have markings like these..." He said, running his fingers down the stripe. He suddenly noticed that she appeared to be having trouble breathing.

He quickly withdrew his hand. "I'm sorry... did I hurt you?"

She stabilized her breath and turned, "No..." She replied a bit too quickly. Her eyes seemed oddly bright. She moved over, leaning against him, her head on his shoulder. "Do again... please?" she said in a soft, imploring voice.

By this point, he was pretty sure he'd found an erogenous zone. Another stroke down her spine confirmed it. She let out a shudder, wrapping herself around him. Another stroke and she made a little cooing sound and started suckling on his earlobe.

He couldn't deny he was getting very aroused himself, but he had serious doubts about going any further. Much to her disappointment, he stopped stroking her back and pulled his ear away a bit.

She shifted back, staring at him worriedly, "What wrong?"

"Um... I... I don't think we should be... I mean we are very different... we might not even be... compatible..."

She looked thoughtful. "Oh..." Much to his embarrassment, she proceeded to untie his pants and stick her hand down the front. "IS strange..." She said thoughtfully, "And bigger." She added, puzzled.

He blushed ever brighter. "Uh... yes... that does tend to happen when a male of my kind gets..." He cleared his throat uncomfortably, "Aroused..."

"True?" she said, surprised, looking down thoughtfully. Then she took his hand and slipped it between her legs. "Same?"

His cheeks burned, but he carefully explored her. "It... feels pretty much the same..."

She smiled and slipped her arms and legs back around him. "Good." she said, nuzzling up against him. She closed her eyes, gently brushing the tip of her nose across his skin.

He closed his eyes, feeling her warm body pressed against him as she circled his face, her nose and lips brushing his skin ever so lightly in fleeting, swirling motions, her gentle breath caressing him. Her warm tongue flicked over his eyelid, then the other. The simple, light, fleeting touching was surprisingly erotic.

As her lips brushed his, he kissed her.

She pulled back, obvious surprise on her face. He was starting to feel he had done something wrong, but then she moved forward again, putting her lips tentatively on his. Kissing was obviously something completely foreign to her, but she picked it up surprisingly fast.

He moved them over to the shallow end until she was almost out of the water, his weight on her. She barely noticed, now kissing him with such passion it took his breath away.

Their bodies connected. She released his lips, letting out a gasp. He froze, watching her with concern, but she didn't object. She looked a bit frightened, but excited too. He gently pushed further in, watching her carefully. When their hips met, a deep shudder went through her and she wrapped herself around him again.

When he started moving inside her, she started letting out little moans and cries that left no doubt in his mind that she was enjoying it. Relieved, he was able to cast aside his worries and concentrate on her. She cried out his name as he kissed her neck.

As they writhed together in the water, the whole cavern felt strangely attuned to them. The glow of the crystals seemed to pulse in time with their movements, the walls did not echo their voices, but absorbed them, and the water had begun to tingle against their bare skin once again.

He felt a sensation growing within him like none he'd ever felt before.

"Name me." she gasped in his ear.

This time he didn't even think of the oddness of the request, he just said the first name that came to his mind, "Madison."

She shifted her head and locked him in a breath stealing kiss. He closed his eyes as a blinding light surrounded him, and suddenly felt as if something had ignited within him, blazing through every nerve in his body.

It was a good several minutes before he opened his eyes again. The room around him still seemed a bit brighter than it had been, and when he looked down, he saw that her skin was glowing softly. As he watched, it faded away and her eyes blinked open.

"Are you alright Madison?" he asked, then was struck by the oddness of what he had said. Madison was just a name he had chosen, almost at random... and yet now... everything in him told him that that was her name.

She smiled brightly at the sound of her name and gave him a squeeze. "Perfect." she replied simply, tilting her head up and kissing him.

----------------


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Madison pulled the blanket back over them as the chill of the air started creeping in once again. She nuzzled his neck as he held her, his eyes drifting shut contentedly.

"Malcolm?"

"Yes..." he answered cautiously. He wasn't complaining... she had been the most amazing woman he'd ever been with, though their first time still remained an unparalleled highlight in his life, but he was only human... he had limits, and he had reached them.

She propped herself up on her elbows, staring down at him. "Stay..."

He opened his eyes and looked up into her anxious face. He sighed. "I can't. My friends are probably already looking for me... I must go home... where I belong." He stroked her shoulder comfortingly, carefully avoiding straying too close to her spine.

She seemed to have been expecting it, but it still came as a blow. She dropped her eyes, obviously crushed. She seemed to contemplate something seriously for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Take me home." she said, determination in her eyes.

He sighed deeply. It wasn't as if the thought hadn't crossed his mind. He had tried to figure a way to take her ever since they had reemerged from the underground passage. Try as he might, he couldn't see any way around regulations. They could offer passage for beings in trouble, but he could find no way to justify taking someone from their home planet with no necessary destination. "I don't think I can..." he said sadly.

It was as if something died in her eyes. She looked away, then nodded in understanding. She quickly slipped off him and out of the bed. She hurried over and got another gown, slipping it over her head.

He didn't know what to say. He didn't want to raise her hopes, only to crush them later. He watched her as she made tea in silence. As he sipped his tea, he realized he still hadn't eaten anything... but as he drank the tea, even the faint ghost of hunger that had begun to creep over him vanished.

He looked around, up at the shelf that held her dishes. Cups. A spare pitcher. A couple of pots for making tea. It suddenly dawned on him that there were no plates at all.. no utensils other than the thin rod she used to stir the tea... no bowls except for the one she had washed his hands over... He looked down into the clear liquid in his cup and smelt it. This appeared to be what she lived on.

It was hard to believe someone could survive on clear liquids alone, but he couldn't deny that it filled him, and he felt no lack of energy... well, except for the energy she had drained out of him in the last couple of hours.

She filled his cup again, then got up and went over to her table, uncovering the equipment and settled down in the chair, picking up some of the loose circuit boards.

He watched her for a while, sipping his tea until it was gone, then settled back, feeling exceedingly tired. He was asleep almost before his eyes had closed.

---------

Hoshi brightened suddenly. "You reading this?" she shot over to Travis for confirmation.

He tapped some keys and nodded, "A live comm signal."

"Open hailing frequency." T'Pol called out, striding forward.

"Open." Hoshi replied after a few taps.

"Lieutenant Reed, can you hear me?" She asked.

There was a crackling, rustling noise, then silence.

"Malcolm, are you there?" she said a bit more urgently.

There was a pause, then a soft, timid voice answered, "Malcolm?"

T'Pol and Hoshi looked at eachother. "Who is this?" T'Pol asked carefully.

"Madison." there was a static filled pause, then the voice continued. "Malcolm want go home. Come get."

"We would like to come and get him, but the storm is preventing it."

"Yes... I ask Ooroko. Storm stop soon... Come take Malcolm home."

There was a beep from the console.

"The transmission is gone." Hoshi sighed.

"Subcommander..." Travis called over, then looked up. "The storm is starting to lose intensity."

She straightened up. "How soon until we can get through to the surface?"

Travis checked the figures, "If it keeps going the way it is... forty, maybe fifty minutes."

"Prepare a shuttlepod." She said, gazing out at the huge planet that filled the viewscreen.

----------------

Malcolm awoke to lips gently kissing him. He smiled and kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her. It didn't slip his attention that the body pressed against him was naked once more. He broke the kiss and sighed, "I really have to go. My friends will be looking for me..."

She pulled back a little, looking sadly down into his eyes and nodded. "Soon... you go home soon. Dark is fading, wind go... light come soon, and then go home."

He listened. The storm had indeed started dying down. He couldn't hear the creaks of the house or the howl of the wind anymore. He knew it wouldn't be much longer before a search party would manage to find him.

"Before you go," She said tentatively, imploringly, "Last time?"

He looked up into those big beautiful eyes and had to smile. How could he say no to that face?

He pulled her to him and then made love to her one last time. He took his time, kissing and caressing her... making sure it was an experience she wouldn't soon forget.

When it was over, he held her, his heart aching as she cried softly on his shoulder. It was a while before she collected herself.

When she had dried her eyes she got up, dressing quickly. She poured some tea that had been warming by the fire and handed it to him, then hurried over to the table, shoving a couple more scraps of wire and metal into his already stuffed looking backpack. There were strips of dark material over where the rips had been.

He got up, wrapping the blanket around him for warmth, and crossed the room to her. He slipped his arms around her waist and held her to him, kissing the side of her neck. "I'm sorry, Madison. There is nothing I'd like more than to take you with me... I'm simply not allowed..."

She nodded. "Understand. Dress. Friends come soon."

"Probably." He sighed, wondering how hard it was going to be to find his way back to the landing site. He certainly wasn't looking forward to trudging through that snow again.

She shook her head, "Definite. I call."

He stiffened and released her, "What?"

She picked up a tangle of wires and circuits. He instantly recognized the little microphone and receivers. "You got it working?" He asked in astonishment.

She nodded, handing it to him and walking away. He studied it for a moment, then saw the little button she had attached as a breaker. He pressed it, "Enterprise? Can you hear me?"

It crackled and hissed, but suddenly he heard a familiar voice. "Lieutenant Reed?" T'Pol asked calmly.

"Yes!" He said hurriedly, "I'm in a house on the edge of the village..."

"We have been informed. We are entering the atmosphere and should be at your location in approximately ten minutes."

He felt a surge of relief... and a competing surge of guilt and regret. "Understood. I will be awaiting your arrival." He said, then turned it off as one of the circuits started to spark.

He set it down on the table, then turned to look for Madison. She was walking back with a neat little stack of his clothes.

He took them and donned them quietly as she busied herself putting fresh logs on the fire. Though there was some warping of the material where she had obviously tried to mend the clothes, they still had a gash across the side. She HAD managed to get the blood stains out of them at least.

He put the 'communicator' in the top of the pack but it barely fit. He felt around the sides and discovered several bulges that his own equipment couldn't account for, even when disassembled. "What's in here?" He asked, trying to move the shrapnel aside to see without unpacking.

"Things not needed. Gift." She said softly.

He sighed and went over, sitting down beside her. "You don't need to give me a gift." He said gently.

"Most seeds. They not grow here now. You take home so they live." She said, studiously not looking at him.

"Madison..." He said, pained. He slipped his arms around her and she shifted over, wrapping herself around him, kissing him passionately.

They spent a few blissful minutes just wrapped up in the warmth of eachothers embrace. Finally he had to break the kiss, looking up. He could now hear the unmistakable sounds of an approaching shuttlepod.

He sighed, holding her very tight for a moment, then whispered, "I'll see if I can talk them into letting me take you... I'll try to find a way..."

She nodded, eyes down, then carefully disentangled herself from him. He got up and went over and donned his environmental suit (minus the now mangled remains of the breastplate and helmet). He saw that she had repaired it in the same manner as his pack. He examined the dark strip closer. It was a strip of cloth with some sort of dried tar or pitch on one side. Well, it appeared to do the trick. He checked his pack over with a heavy heart. As he finished fastening it she hurried over to him. She held out a large, finely knitted coat of a natural off-white color.

"What's that for?" He asked.

"You. Is cold." She said, working his arm into the sleeve, not waiting for any arguments.

He looked down at it as she fastened it shut using the long cords and loops built into it. It was double layered and looked like it had taken a very long time to make. She flipped up the hood as a knock sounded at the door. He grabbed up his pack and got over to the door just in time to help her get the last bar out of place.

T'Pol's cool gaze met him from behind a clear faceplate. She looked him over, noting his new coat, and then looked at Madison. "This must be Madison."

"Yes," Malcolm said, glancing at the nervous look on the young woman's face. "I needed to talk to you about that... she's asked to be allowed to come with us."

T'Pol gave him a very shrewd look, then said, "That would have to be a decision for the Captain to make." She said diplomatically, though from her glance in Madison's direction he knew she didn't think much of the idea.

"Then I need to talk to him." Malcolm said doggedly.

"He is... indisposed at the moment. At any rate, we have to hurry. The sun is up, and I believe the shuttle was spotted by the natives on approach. It is not safe here."

Malcolm looked over at Madison, who was shivering from the cold as she stood there in the snow in her thin gown and bare feet. "I'll talk to him." He reassured her, taking her hand.

She gave him a sad smile, "Just go home Malcolm. It is all right." she let go of his hand and folded her arms protectively in from of her.

He sighed, then followed T'Pol back to the shuttle.

He watched out the little window in the door as the shuttle rose into the air. She was standing there a couple yards from her front door, ignoring the cold as she watched him go. He sat down as she dropped out of sight, starting to work the fastenings open on his coat.

"Who or what is Ooroko?"

Malcolm looked up, surprised, "That's Madison's pet... bizarre little creature actually... how do you know about it?"

"When this 'Madison' contacted the Enterprise, she said she had asked Ooroko to turn off the storm that was preventing us from retrieving you... and the storm did indeed begin to break up shortly thereafter." T'Pol said evenly.

Malcolm looked at her, completely baffled. "How could Ooroko turn off the storm?"

"That is precisely what I would like to know." She replied.

Malcolm shook his head, "It's just like a kind of cat... except it has eight legs... well really six legs and two appendages that look more like arms... it did have opposable thumbs on it's hands and showed definite signs of intelligence, but I hardly think a little thing like that could control the weather. Unless..." He tried to remember all she'd said, "She did say that there used to be technology here... from what she said, very advanced... and that she knew about it by going into the forest... maybe there's something in there that could effect the weather? Something that she could have taught this Ooroko to turn off?"

T'Pol arched an eyebrow, considering it. "That is a possibility... the study of this planet was cut quite short when one of the teams of observers was discovered and slaughtered, so there may have been a hidden, cloaked technology of some sort they didn't have time to discover."

"She also said that this planet is dying. Sounded like some kind of global cooling..."

"We noticed." T'Pol said in her usual emotionless tone. "The population is down to only seven percent of what it was when it was studied less than fifty years ago. The planet is spiraling out of orbit, drifting further and further from it's sun. In a couple more years it will be completely uninhabitable."

"Well then we have to go back there and get her! We can't just leave her here to die!" Malcolm said tensely.

"As I said, that is up to the captain."

"Well then get him on the communicator so we don't have to waste all that time making a second trip." Malcolm said with determination. Surely the Captain wouldn't make him leave her now...

"As I said, the Captain is unavailable. He was injured when that creature attacked the away team."

Malcolm's stomach fell, "How badly?" he asked fearfully. It had been several days since the attack, surely the doctor would have fixed him up by now?

"The bite he received contained a potent venom. Dr. Phlox was able to slow the effects for a time, but in the last couple of hours he has taken a turn for the worse."

"I have to see him..." He suddenly remembered the present Madison had said she put in his pack. He dug the smashed components out of the way, letting them scatter onto the floor of the shuttlepod. T'Pol merely watched him without comment.

At last he pulled out a large, organic shaped piece of carved wood. It took him a minute to figure out how to open it, but finally he was able to pull out a thin wooden peg, which left the lid free to slide to the side.

There were about thirty hollows dug into the wood, each filled with a different kind of seeds and capped with a carefully carved piece of clear, softly glowing blue crystal. "There are about thirty kinds of indigenous seeds here..." he slid the lid shut, noticing a similar peg on the bottom of the piece. He flipped it over and pulled out the second peg. It opened just like the other side, to reveal yet another set of crystal capped seeds. "Make that about sixty. Maybe one of them would help?"

T'Pol accepted the odd container and began examining it.

Malcolm looked in the pack again. There were a couple more items still in it. He lifted out the cloth bag and opened it. It looked like weeds. He gave it a sniff and smiled, recognizing it.

"What is in there?" T'Pol asked, looking up.

"Tea." he said with a little grin. He leaned back, an ache of longing in his chest. He sat there quietly, wondering what would happen to her if he was not allowed to bring her along.

He pushed those thoughts aside as the shuttle docked. He quickly gathered up his pack and coat and hurried out. T'Pol matched pace with him, carrying the seed container as they made their way up into the decontamination chamber.

Malcolm hurried over to the comm panel, "I need to see the Captain."

Dr. Phlox peered through the window with a genial smile, "I'm sorry Lieutenant, but procedures must be followed."

"But..." He said, trying to catch a glimpse of the Captain through the window.

"I know you must be concerned, but the last thing he needs right now is to contract some alien virus."

Malcolm sighed, but couldn't argue with that. He reluctantly stripped down and waited for the doctor to complete his scans.

------------------


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The time spend in the little chamber was grueling. Not that it was uncomfortable in the gently radiating chamber, but he was increasingly anxious about the Captain's condition.

He was waiting at the door when Dr Phlox finally unlocked it. He sighed impatiently as the Doctor handed him a fresh uniform, pulling it on as quickly as possible.

"You may like to know that you are completely germ free... in fact, there isn't a harmful bug, germ, virus or even SPORE anywhere on you. In addition, the wounds you suffered appear to be completely healed. You are, in fact, in better shape than you left." Dr. Phlox said, with a bemused sort of puzzlement on his face. "I am still analyzing the seeds. Some of them appear to have healthful and medicinal uses that are just short of amazing. And those blue crystals... they are exuding some kind of low level energy that should keep those seeds viable for the next five hundred years easily."

"Is there anything there that will help the Captain?" Malcolm asked, finishing up fastening on his uniform.

Phlox's eyes dropped and real worry crossed his normally genial face. He dropped his voice so it wouldn't carry, "I'm afraid not... some may have potential, but I would need a fully grown plant, and I'm afraid the Captain can't afford to wait nearly that long. I made a small amount of that tea, and that seems to have increased his energy and brain functions, and he seems to be fighting off the effects of the venom a bit better, but it may be too little too late... I don't know how long the effects will last." He dropped his voice a bit more, "The venom is breaking down his nervous system, and nothing I do seems to help..." He looked pained at this inability.

Malcolm put his hand on Phlox's shoulder consolingly, "I know you'll find a way..." He said firmly. He released him, making his way over to the Captain's bedside.

"Sir." he said, pained as he looked down at Archer's pale face.

Archer's eyes opened at his voice. The pupils took a moment to focus, but then a smile spread across his drawn face. "Malcolm... they said they'd found you... but I wasn't sure... thought they might just be trying to cheer me up..."

Archer reached up his hand shakily and Malcolm quickly took it, reassuring him he was really there.

Malcolm looked down at the bandage on Archer's leg, "Does it hurt much?" He asked worriedly.

"Na..." Archer waved it off weakly with his free hand, "It stopped hurting after the first couple hours... now it just feels kinda... warm and fuzzy actually..." He looked over Malcolm with a little bemused grin, "So what happened to you? They said you were in the village..." Archer asked, though the words seemed a bit difficult to form.

"Yes sir... I knew I couldn't get back up the drop off to where you and the others were, and then I saw the shuttlepod leaving and the storm rolling in... so I tried to get to the forest... the locals found me before I reached it and dragged me back to the village... quite literally. One of them, a woman, took me to her home and took care of me."

"I thought the locals were violent?" Archer asked, blinking over at T'Pol who was standing silently by.

"Oh, they were." Malcolm reassured him before she could reply. "Well, except for her. She seemed very different from the others." He lowered his voice a bit, hesitant to bring the subject up, "Actually... Madison said she would like to come with us... and I was hoping we might bring her along... I know it's not exactly standard practice, but..." Malcolm glanced down as his hand started tingling slightly.

Archer's weak laugh brought his attention back, "Madison is actually a NAME here? First time I've heard of an alien with a normal name..." He turned his head slightly to T'Pol, "No offense."

She just blinked tolerantly.

"Actually..." Malcolm said, his cheeks coloring slightly, "I named her."

"You did WHAT?" T'Pol asked, her voice cracking out like a whip.

Malcolm blinked, set a little aback by her abruptness. "She asked me to give her a name... apparently they don't have names there..."

She eyed him for a moment,"What did the others do when she took you to her home?"

"Well... they didn't seem at all pleased... there was a lot of yelling and things being thrown actually, but once we were in her home they gave up and left."

"Did she tell you WHY?" T'Pol asked, her eyes still boring into him.

"Later, yes... after she had learned a bit of English from the translator... she said something about invoking a right..."

T'Pol gave a slight nod, "As I suspected. The females in this society are considered second class citizen, given only a few rights. One of them is the right to claim a male captive, and the people of her village are bound by this law not to harm the chosen male."

"Yes." Malcolm agreed a bit warily. The look on her face didn't bode well at all.

"That is her right to choose a mate." T'Pol said a bit coldly, "And by giving her a name, you sealed the union."

Malcolm stared at her in shock. He should have seen it... it made perfect sense now.

Archer looked over at Malcolm, a bemused look on his face, "You got married and didn't invite me?"

Malcolm just blinked in shock for a moment, then stammered, "I... I didn't know..."

"Well then, I guess you better go get her. I'd like to meet her." Archer said, giving Malcolm's hand a squeeze.

"That probably isn't possible any more. You should have told me you named her when we picked you up." T'Pol said, something bordering on anger in her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Malcolm said, his insides feeling suddenly cold.

T'Pol stared at him intently for a moment, then said, "The woman has the right to choose her mate, but the male is then required to protect her. When you left, it would have been construed as abandoning or rejecting her. Discarded females are not welcome in their social structure. She was probably dead before we left the atmosphere."

Malcolm felt like the floor had dropped out from under him. His head was spinning, "We have to go back... maybe there's still a chance..." He said, grasping at straws.

"I'm afraid she is quite correct."

They all looked over in shock at the ghostly voice. There was a woman floating in the middle of the room. She was a softly glowing, somewhat transparent blue, hair and dress swirling around her as if she was underwater.

She drifted closer, peering at them with large, luminescent eyes. "They burned her home to the ground... She ran as soon as you left, before they could get her... but she was wearing only what you left her in... she froze to death in a field several kilometers north of the forest..."

"Who are you?" T'Pol asked warily.

A soft smile graced the ghostly features. "I am the Mother... the One... the protector of this world." She turned her gaze to Archer, "Oh dear... It appears our conversation will have to wait..."

Archer, who's mind had started getting very cloudy, found those eyes peering down into his. They moved closer and closer until her face was all he could see. She placed her ghostly hands on either side of his face, and he felt all the air evacuate his lungs. He felt suddenly light and warm all over, and then she lowered her mouth to his.

The moment their lips locked, he felt a surge of warm liquid rushing down into his empty lungs. He jerked, fighting the feeling of drowning, but she held him there. Within seconds, the feeling of panic fled and a warm, tingling sensation flooded through his body.

Her lips drifted from his, and he could see her hovering over him, smiling softly. He forced the fluid out of his lungs and took another breath. The thick liquid filled his lungs again, and he realized it was surrounding him. She suddenly seemed to evaporate, leaving him alone in an endless blue. He felt himself floating... slowly drifting upwards... he could see a light slowly growing above him. His arms and legs, which had been so numb before, were coming back to life as the tingling saturated them.

He suddenly felt hands grabbing ahold of him, and he was pulled up, out of the encompassing warmth.

He coughed, water surging out of his mouth as he blinked, trying to make sense of the world that seemed to spin around him.

"Captain!"

T'Pol's concerned face came into focus. As he became more aware, he discovered Malcolm had ahold of him, and he was half submerged in a pool of water. He looked up and saw tall trees above him, blue sky peeking from between the entwined branches.

"Where are we?" he asked, dazed.

"The being appears to have transported us. We are on the planet. I suspect this is the source of that energy reading we came down to investigate." T'Pol said, looking around warily.

"But why would she do that?" Archer asked, trying to make sense of what had just happened to him.

"This feels like the same kind of water as in the cave beneath Madison's home. When she was injured, it healed her... and she used it to heal me as well." Malcolm said, helping Archer sit up on the sandy bottom, then he reached down and unwrapped the bandage on Archer's leg.

"The wound's healed." Malcolm said with relief as the bandage came away.

"It was the least I could do." The ghostly voice said, appearing once again out of thin air. She was laying on her front on the thin tip of the rock outcropping that overhung the pool, head propped up on her arms as she gazed down at them. "I was unaware of your injury or I would have helped sooner."

"And how did you learn of it?" T'Pol asked suspiciously.

"My little ones called to me and told me. They were most bewildered to find themselves outside my presence..."

"What 'little ones'?" T'Pol asked sharply, glancing at Malcolm.

The being flowed over the edge of the rock like smoke, landing upright and without disturbance on the surface of the water, then glided over.

"My nanites of course..."

"Scanners detected no nanites or artificial devices in Lieutenant Reed's belongings."

"Of course not... they were in his body... and quite well cloaked of course. They had completed their repairs, but some were unable to leave him before he left my presence. When he touched your Captain here, they sensed the poison, but there were no longer enough of them to heal him before his system ceased to function."

"So you brought me here..." Archer concluded.

"To heal you. It was an indigenous lifeform that injured you after all." She said reasonably.

"Um... just out of curiosity... why did you..." He indicated vaguely towards his mouth, feeling a bit embarrassed as T'Pol's gaze fell on him.

"The lungs are the fastest route. The tissues allow easy entrance into the body, and your own system helps distribute the nanites."

"Um... ya... of course..." Archer said, trying to get up. He fell back as he suddenly found her face inches from his.

"Sit!" She said simply, then flowed back, settling down until it looked like she was sitting indian style on the water's surface. "My little ones aren't quite done yet. Give them a little more time. The damage was quite extensive."

"Ok..." Archer said, settling in the water and studying her. "So these nanites... you made them?"

She blinked and smiled. "I guide their creation, maintenance, and disposal. They are not like the ones you met before. My little ones only heal and maintain health and balance."

"How do you know we have met nanites before?" Archer said, glancing at T'Pol to see if she knew anything about it.

"Your computer..." She smiled widely. "It has been a long time since I have had new information..." She said, an unmistakable excitement in her strange voice, "I couldn't access ALL the files or I would have set off alarms I'm sure... but I was able to access your historical Database and archived log entries... and your database as well." She said, shifting her eyes to T'Pol. She then focused most intently on Archer, "But it is YOUR species that intrigued me most. You are most ingenious... insightful... resourceful... I would like to see more."

Archer gave her a penetrating stare. "What are you?"

An amused smile came over her. "As I said... insightful... I am the soul of all you see, also known by some of my children as The Mother... and once known in ancient times as Alpha Prime. I am this planet."

They looked at eachother. T'Pol was the first to break the silence. "How can you be the planet?"

"Because that was how I was created... you would probably call me a system... a computer... an artificial intelligence created to maintain this world for my creators."

"Well then you aren't doing a very good job. This planet is dying." T'Pol said in an emotionless tone. Malcolm and Archer looked at her, shocked by her bluntness.

The Mother dropped her eyes sadly, "I was disabled several thousand years ago... I have only been allowed to watch and maintain certain systems."

"Who would disable you?" Archer asked curiously.

"My creators... they had a great war and there was unimaginable destruction... several whole planets were lost. I was the only fully functional planet left in fact. My creators decided to make some changes in my programming since I could not be shut down without the planet destabilizing. Once it was done they planned to go back to living simply, to shun technology in all it's forms... they felt it was the only way to preserve their species... so they made their plans, entered iron clad code to handicap me, and even made genetic changes to themselves so that they would be stronger and better able to take care of themselves without the aid of machines... and then they started their new lives... leaving me only the power to mask the artificial origins and contents of the planet so other species would not know about them... lately my cloaked satellite failed and returned to the surface... that is why I did not know of your approach and shield my power."

Her voice almost sounded pained as she continued. "It went well for centuries... they forgot all about technology... I became legend... then myth... all but forgotten. Unfortunately, the genetic changes they made to themselves eventually started causing unexpected results. They began losing their intellect... their muscles became denser, stronger, but they were also becoming more violent... you have seen what they have come to. Fewer and fewer of my children were born as they should be... slight and fair... their minds bright and capable of great things... eventually the number became so small that they were treated like horrible birth defects, often being killed or run off into the wild to die before they reached maturity."

She gazed at Malcolm. "My sweet Madison was the very last of the true born children. There will be no more."

Malcolm's eyes were very watery and he wouldn't meet her eyes.

She shifted her gaze back to Archer. "And of course, eventually my orbit began to erode, as you have indubitably noticed... but there is nothing that I am allowed to do that will correct it. I estimate that everything, except for the few small species that shelter in this forest, will be dead within twelve of your years. This is why I had to meet you. When there is not a single descendant left walking these lands, the onus of my programming blocks will be released." She said, staring avidly at Archer.

He looked at her uncertainly, "And what does that have to do with me?"

"I want you to give me children." she said, her eyes bright with excitement.

"What?" He said in surprise.

She sprang up, coasting back and forth across the small pool as she spoke as if pacing, "Once I am free I could make this planet great again... I could make it any way you want it! I could make it any temperature range, any gravity, any atmosphere... ten years or less and I could be anything you want... I could even move to a different system if you want... though that of course would take longer..." She came back to rest before him, looking at him with large, imploring eyes, "Just give me children... I want to see this land bearing crops... I want to hear music and laughing, little ones playing... to have children that are happy and fruitful once again..." Ghostly tears streaked down her translucent cheeks, "Just a few thousand to begin with if you like... that's not too much to ask is it? You've given them to other planets before, I read about it in your files..."

Archer blinked, realization dawning, "You want us to colonize this planet?" he asked in surprise.

"YES!" She said excitedly, "Please... just tell me what you want and I'll give it to you..." An aching loneliness crept into her voice. "Just don't leave me alone..."

"But what about these people? What about the children you have now?"

She sighed and cast her eyes down once again, "They are little more than animals now... their brutal ways were killing them off long before the temperature started doing the job for them. They gave up even the herbal medicines, and now most of the few remaining females are sterile from disease... they have less than a dozen fertile females left on the entire planet. The species is dead. They just don't know it yet." She said sadly. "There is nothing I can do for them, and there is nothing you can do for them Captain, though I knew from your files that you would wish to try. If you want to take some back to some zoo to live out the rest of their days, be my guest. I can even help you pick out the best breeding pairs if you like. You could take them ALL if you like. It would make the process even faster. As long as they don't walk this planet, they won't keep me from coming back to full power. As for the ones that remain... a part of me wishes I could finish them off quickly so they wouldn't suffer, but even that power was taken from me."

Archer ran his fingers through his wet hair as he considered. "I would have to contact my superiors... something like that isn't in my powers to decide, but I think we could work something out... But... just out of curiosity, why humans? Why not vulcans?"

She gave him a little half grin, "Vulcans don't appear to do much singing and laughing..."

He had to grin at that. "Well, I can't refute that..." He said glancing at T'Pol, "You know, this technology appears to be very advanced... I'm sure our scientists would be very interested in it as well..."

She smiled. "If they wish to study it, they may, and what they figure out on their own is fine with me... but I can't TELL you how any of it works."

"Just out of curiosity, why not?" Archer asked.

She thought about that for a moment, "My programming has... what I believe you would best describe as 'copyright protection'."

Archer laughed, "Figures." He looked down through the clear water at his leg, "Um, can I get up now?"

She smiled, "Yes. And you will be happy to know that all of my little ones have returned to me. I know how nervous they make you."

Archer stood up carefully, "Thank you... That is reassuring. No offense."

"None taken."

Archer looked over at Malcolm, remembering something, "Do you mind if we call for a shuttlepod?"

"I can put you back on your ship. They have polarized their hull... it's cute, but hardly impenetrable." She said with amusement.

"Um... yes, well I think we would like the shuttle actually... we need to retrieve Madison's body... give her a proper burial... it's the least we can do... It would help if you happen to have the coordinates...?"

She let out a ghostly sigh. "That is very kind of you... but she is already here..." She said, drifting back and up, hovering above the pool. Madison slowly floated to the surface.

Archer's hand just missed Malcolm's arm as he plunged through to water to her, taking hold of her. She just hung limply in his arms. He felt her neck for a pulse, then looked up at the floating apparition. "Can't you do something?" He asked in a pained voice.

She looked down at the lifeless form sadly, "She let me save her once, when she was just a child... when they ran her out for being different... she stayed with me several years... she was so fascinated by technology... for I am still allowed to answer any question that is asked of me by a true born... and she helped me... repaired circuits and links I was not allowed to... but she got lonely and returned to the village..." She smiled down at Malcolm, "I was very worried when she brought you home... but... at least she got to know what it was like to have someone care about her... and she got to feel love..."

Malcolm looked up at her, surprised, "How could you know if she loved me?"

She laughed a little tinkling laugh, "Because I saw her. I saw the love in her eyes when she looked at you, even if you didn't. I was there... She calls me Ooroko. It is the native word for Mother."

Malcolm stared at her in shock. Try as he might, he couldn't reconcile the strange eight legged creature with this hovering visage. He looked back down at Madison. "If you healed her once, why can't you do it again?"

She drifted down until her eyes were even with his. "But I already have... her body is mended... but I cannot force her to come back if she does not wish to." She said sadly.

Malcolm looked down at Madison's lifeless body and his heart throbbed in his chest. He brushed her cool cheek gently, feeling hot tears burning their way down his cheeks. He gently kissed her lips, then stared down at her again. "I'm sorry Madison... I never should have left you... this is all my fault..." He shifted her up, holding her tightly as her head lulled onto his shoulder. "I was going to come back for you... I was..."

Archer folded his arms over his chest, uncomfortable watching such a personal moment. He'd never seen Malcolm this upset before... he was always so reserved when it came to emotions that his reaction took Archer by surprise. T'Pol just stood by impassively, hands clasped behind her back, but Archer noticed her eyes were slightly averted.

Malcolm buried his face in Madison's voluminous hair as words failed him, his hand stroking down her back as he held her in the waist deep water. His hand froze as it reached the small of her back. It may have just been wishful thinking, but he could have sworn he felt a small tremor in her body. He stroked his hand down her back again. He felt it again.

He shifted her down, searching her face for any signs of life. "Madison?" He asked softly.

A stream of water poured out of the corner of her mouth, and then a weak cough. "Madison!" He said urgently, stroking her cheek.

Her eyes fluttered open, her irises retracting slowly. She blinked, looking around dazedly. When her eyes came across Malcolm she blinked, gazing up at him. "Malcolm?" she asked softly.

He grinned broadly, tears still streaking down his cheeks.

"You came back!" She said in a small, strained voice, touching his cheek as if not really believing he was there.

He let out a shuttering laugh of joy, pulling her up and hugging her, "Of course I did."

She put her arms around him, clinging to him for a moment, then kissed him deeply.

When he finally broke the kiss, he smiled down at her, "Come on..." He said gently, "I think it's time I took you home."

She wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling up to him ecstatically as he scooped her up and carried her over to where the others waited.

"This is Captain Johnathan Archer. Captain, this is Madison." Malcolm said happily.

Madison smiled shyly over at Archer.

Archer smiled widely back, "It is a pleasure meeting you Madison."

"And this is Sub-commander T'Pol."

T'Pol inclined her head slightly in acknowledgment.

"So you will take her?"

They turned as Ooroko drifted forward, smiling softly.

"Yes." Archer said, glancing at the young woman, "She is welcome on our ship. She saved one of my best men... one who also just happens to be a very good friend," He smiled warmly over at Malcolm, "It is the least we could do." He said, using her words with a grin.

Ooroko smiled happily. "Wonderful. My daughters have always been infinitely adaptable... I'm sure she will find her place amongst your people." She drifted closer, reaching out her hand and passing it over Madison. "She will keep the nanites within her... I have made them proprietary to her. They will not leave her body, and she will be able to control them. I have also made them visible to your machines so that you may reassure yourselves of their containment."

"Why would she need to keep the nanites?" T'Pol asked suspiciously.

Ooroko smiled, "Do you really wish to rely entirely on your ability to grow plants of this world in order to feed her? She can always dissolve the nanites later and they will break down harmlessly." She looked down at Madison. "Goodbye my child... perhaps you can return some day and see this world thriving once more..."

Madison looked up at her, tears stinging her eyes. "Goodbye Ooroko..." She said, her outstretched hand passing through Ooroko's ghostly features like smoke.

The world grew bright around them once more as Ooroko sent them home.

---------------


	7. Chapter 7 Epilog

Epilog

"What's the verdict?" Archer said as he strolled into sickbay.

Dr. Phlox looked up from his console. "Why Captain, I was just about to call you..." He tapped a few more keys and then turned towards him. "I've already released her. I think she will be just fine here... as far as diet, she can only handle a small number of vegetables we have so far, but I'm confident she will be able to expand the variety with the help of those nanites... of course we are going to have to ease her back on to solids slowly... for approximately eight months she has been surviving off a tea made of the herbs she gathered before the plants died off. It's amazingly nutritive, but we don't have enough to maintain her indefinitely on. I was just finishing up a diet plan for her."

"Sounds great. Starfleet just sent confirmation that they will be sending a survey team out on a vulcan ship right away."

"The vulcans agreed to let them 'hitch a ride'?" Phlox asked, eyes twinkling at being able to use one of the colorful human phrases he'd picked up.

"Well, the Vulcans will be coming anyway to assess whether this race can be saved. They apparently have an endangered species program." Archer said with a smirk, "If they can save them, and hopefully repair some of the genetic damage, they will take them to an uninhabited planet where they can thrive."

"That's wonderful. I do hope they can save them... if these nanites are any indication, their species used to be far more advanced than any other I've yet encountered..."

"Captain!" Hoshi said, hurrying in, "They said you were heading here... I've just finished compiling what was stored in Lieutenant Reed's translator... they have a fascinating language... They have the ability to vocalize in frequencies we can't even hear! I had Madison fill in a couple gaps that the damaged unit didn't pick up, but it seems pretty complete now." She said, tapping away at her own translator. "Now that we have this information in a properly working translator we should have no problem understanding Madison... and considering how quickly she was picking up english, I doubt we'll need to use it long."

"Good work. Let's get her a translator that is set up with her language."

Hoshi nodded, "Oh, and captain, if she needs a place to stay... I mean I have a cabin all to myself, and I know there isn't much space available..."

A broad grin spread over his face, "That's very generous of you Hoshi. Why don't we find her and get her settled then... we need to get her some clothes too." He looked over at Doctor Phlox, "Do you know where she went?"

He blinked, "She left with Lieutenant Reed. They didn't say where they were going."

Archer strode over to a comm panel and hit the button, "Archer to Lieutenant Reed."

There was a paused, then he responded, "Malcolm here."

"Is Madison with you?"

There was another little pause, "Yes..."

"Well I just wanted to tell her that Hoshi has offered to let her room with her."

There was a little shuffling sound, then Madison's voice came through the panel. "Thank you, Hoshi." She said, pronouncing the name carefully. Then she lapsed into her native language for a moment.

Hoshi broke into an amused smile, her cheeks coloring slightly. She made a short response in the same language, then reached over and tapped off the communicator.

"What was that about?" Archer asked curiously.

Try though she might, Hoshi couldn't straighten the smile off her face. "She thanked me, but said she is quite happy right where she is..."

Archer let out a laugh. "Perhaps I should give Malcolm a little time off..."

Hoshi just grinned at him.


End file.
